ITV makes CSR pledge

The CPO at UK broadcaster ITV has pledged to push sustainability up the organisation's corporate agenda.

Addressing delegates at the ProcureCon conference, group procurement director Angela Porter said the company needed to have a better grasp of all aspects of corporate social responsibility (CSR).

She said the organisation has so far focused on the "softer" social aspects of CSR, such as engaging with local schools, which has helped build the reputation of its brand. ITV must now look at tackling carbon emissions and the sustainability of suppliers. "People tend to lean towards the social aspect of sustainability but there are other issues to deal with," she added.

The company is setting up a sustainability board comprising individuals from various ITV departments who will take responsibility for CSR. The board will develop a sustainability plan, and each member will filter its messages and actions down through their business function. Details of how the board will work and who will be involved will be finalised in the next few months.

The broadcaster will also focus on the UK government's Carbon Reduction Commitment to cut annual carbon emissions by 1.2 million tonnes by 2020, which comes into effect in April. Porter said ITV's targets are yet to be confirmed, but would likely be in line with a 10-20 per cent reduction. It also wants to increase the energy efficiency of its sites and buildings and work with suppliers to ensure they have a sustainability plan in place.

Since joining ITV nine months ago, Porter has overhauled purchasing and the department now has greater spend control as well as more creative input (News, 14 May).